The story of freedom always was a work of art
A picture perfect dream that melted my heart,
We defeated the odds
We as a nation seen our first black president
In the land of the free, and I’m proud to be a resident
Everlasting victory, we made classic history
But as of Nov. 2016 we are now back in misery
Man, I ask God to turn this demonic night back to day
open our eyes and see things His way
We all are blinded by our own desires
And the hate is spreading burning like wildfires
Is this the ugly future we want our kids to face
Grow up and be mistreated, because of their race
This is a disgrace, we all should be ashamed
Democrats, and Republicans we all are the blame
This campaign was the spark to the flame
I hope this poem becomes the reader novocaine
It’s time to wake up before it’s too late to make up
Hate to see my country so divided, one track minded
selfish, secluded, and confined.
Without compassion, and empathy as our sight
We will remain channeled, static and black and white
America the great, a beautiful democracy
has flip to hate and hypocrisy
One Election set off the detection
of constant oppression, race neglection
Religion rejection, to separation
immigration, kids scared of deportation
Damn, we all need reflection, a lil’ god meditation
Because prayer is the only medication
to the hurtful situation
God bless America

Oh War Child,
look at what you have become
Oppressed by a system that forced you to become wild
In the merge of guns and a mind that has no conscious
you have become a war child
Seeing blood flow from out the flesh of another has no case in your file
it’s just another memory that been shot
Pow!!!!

Oh War Child
Yes, you, African boy
You’ve been dredged from the hands of your sweet mother
and now look at you
angry by the fault of your circumstances
so you have no care in this world because you feel that you are on your own
but you are not alone.
Yes I feel the pain that trickles my soul
the war that replays in my mind is long lasting it never seem to get old.
Watching the bloodbath of my brothers drown them to death has triggered me
to become cold.

Oh War Child
look at what I have become
guns was my expression of the g code
and the fault of me being away from my sweet mother
has put me in depression of the survivor mode
Frustration has ruled my thoughts
all my effort to find a way out had seem to led to naught
There was no place for freedom
I was caught up in the system of oppression but

In the 5 years I’ve been here on this C4B juvenile unit I have met many kinds of young men. Many who claim to be HEARTLESS and RUTHLESS and by their crimes you would believe this also but then you get to know them, talk with them, learn about them and their families or lack thereof. Many have made mistakes in which they can’t come back from. Even though they may not say it I know they wish they could change their circumstances. Most are from the streets if not all and what their peers think of them means so much to them. But what someone should have told them that taking something from people, hurting people or taking a life does not make you a man. They were told that they were men too early in life. They have a lot of maturity to go to reach Manhood and the learning does not stop because of age. You should always try to learn and grow as a person. What I am saying is that out of all the young men that I have met they all were looking for LOVE and UNDERSTANDING from someone. No (MOM) or (DAD) in some circumstances can change a person in so many ways that we cannot imagine how it could affect a person’s life. After all we’re only human, born to make mistakes.

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Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop

Free Minds uses books, creative writing, and peer support to awaken DC youth incarcerated as adults to their own potential. Through creative expression, job readiness training, and violence prevention outreach, these young poets achieve their education and career goals, and become powerful voices for change in the community.

Winner of the 2015 Aspen Ideas Award from the Aspen Institute, the Justice Potter Stewart Award from the Council for Court Excellence, and the Library of Congress Best Practices in Literacy Award.

United Way of the National Capital Area (UWNCA) #9633
Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) # 75998